08/09/2026
Nice work MAPPS
A huge thank you to the team at MAPPS (Mobility and Postural Positioning Specialists) for the amazing work they’ve done customising the straps on my basketball wheelchair for my feet, heels, femurs and hips, plus protective padding for my backrest bar.
MAPPS are experts in one-off, customised solutions designed around each client’s individual needs. They’ve been at the forefront of enabling people through innovative custom solutions across New Zealand since 1996.
From wheelchairs and specialist seating to customised off-road 4 wheelers and now basketball wheelchairs. They can fabricate solutions across a wide range of materials and platforms.
For wheelchair basketball, proper positioning and strapping are incredibly important. Securing a player’s core, legs and feet to the chair helps turn the player and wheelchair into one unit. This allows forces to transfer more efficiently through the chair when pushing, accelerating, making sharp turns and coming to sudden stops while allowing the upper body to focus on passing, dribbling and shooting rather than constantly fighting to maintain balance.
And for anyone who knows wheelchair basketball, you’ll know there can be some serious contact on court that cause loss of balance!
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) also requires backrest bars to have dense protective padding of at least 1.5 cm to help protect opposition players during collisions and heavy-impact contact.
Since having my straps redesigned and fitted properly, I’ve noticed a significant improvement in how much force I can transfer into my pushes. The chair feels more like an extension of my body, giving me better stability and allowing me to put more power into my movement.
It’s a great example of how the right customisation can make a huge difference, not just to comfort, but to performance, efficiency and independence.
Massive thanks again to MAPPS for helping me get my basketball chair dialled in!
